Where are the gun control opponents' ideas?

Weeks after the White House released its plan to reduce gun violence, the Senate Judiciary Committee held its first hearing on the issue. Though witnesses provided no shortage of stories and advice, any legislation will ultimately be crafted by the 18 members of this committee. Several of the senators are gun owners. Some have already spoken out against reforms proposed by President Obama.

There is certainly room for debate about what, if anything, Congress can and should do to reduce deaths from firearms. But those who oppose the ideas the president has offered are obligated to offer concrete ideas of their own. That includes Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

On Wednesday, he had no shortage of comments about what was wrong with the White House proposals. Yet he had no specific suggestions about what Congress, or anyone else, should do instead.

? Banning assault weapons? Grassley opposes it. "Banning guns based on their appearance does not make sense," he said.

? Universal background checks? "My problem with background checks is you are never going to get criminals to go through" them, he said.

? Directing the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention to research the causes of gun violence? While Grassley acknowledged "we need to know more about the problem," apparently he doesn't think the CDC should do the research. "Gun violence is not a disease," said Grassley. Neither is lawful gun ownership, he said. He then told the audience that gun ownership is a "constitutionally protected right" and violent crime is at its lowest rate in 50 years.

? Limiting magazine capacities to 10 rounds? "Those can be circumvented by carrying multiple guns, as many killers have done," said Grassley.

He said video games and mental health may contribute to gun violence. But lamenting games that depict "shooting innocent civilians in an airport security line" is not a proposal for Congress to act on.

Grassley offered no thoughts on how to improve access to mental health treatment or pay for it. He voted against the federal health reform law to provide health insurance to Americans so they can get treatment, including for mental problems. Since then, he has criticized the law at every turn.

Grassley appears to be taking the same obstructionist approach as some of his congressional brethren: dismissing other people's proposals while outlining none of his own. That is easy. Standing up to the powerful gun lobby is not easy. Standing behind ideas that will make a difference isn't either. "It will be hard," former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, critically wounded by a gunman, reminded lawmakers, "but the time is now."

Grassley predicted that there will be legislation, but he doesn't think it will lead to the banning of many guns. Fine. But what is Grassley advocating to reduce the number of innocent Americans being killed by those guns? Maintaining the status quo really isn't a palatable option.

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Where are the gun control opponents' ideas?

Weeks after the White House released its plan to reduce gun violence, the Senate Judiciary Committee held its first hearing on the issue.